HörHanse Days 2026: expertise in Lübeck

The future of hearing took centre stage on 10 and 11 June at the HörHanse Days 2026 at the media docks in Lübeck. Around 120 participants from the fields of science, clinical practice, hearing care, education and business came together to explore the latest developments in hearing research, hearing care and innovative technologies. The Academy of Hearing Acoustics took part with a workshop on frequency-modifying measures in hearing aids.

HörHanse is far more than just a scientific platform. It brings together research, clinical care and education with the shared aim of driving forward innovations for better hearing and sustainably improving the quality of life for people with hearing impairments – this was emphasised by the Chairman of the Board of HörHanse e. V., Privatdozent Dr Hendrik Husstedt, at the start of the HörHanse Days 2026. He provided an overview of the association’s development and its future activities.

At the opening of the two-day event, Lübeck’s Mayor Jan Lindenau expressed his pride in the influence of HörHanse and recognised the network’s significance for Lübeck as a centre of science and innovation. In his welcoming address, he emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the training programmes held in Lübeck – which play a central role nationwide – for the region’s future.

HörHanse brings together stakeholders across the entire innovation and care chain for hearing. Universities, research institutes, clinics, educational institutions such as the Campus Hörakustik (Campus Hearing Acoustic), craft trades and companies are working together here to better understand hearing, develop new technologies and further improve care for people with hearing impairments.

Programme of lectures covering a wide range of specialist topics

The range of specialist topics at the HörHanse Days 2026 reflected this diversity. A total of 14 scientific presentations shed light on current developments across various disciplines – from cochlear implants and robot-assisted surgery, through modern hearing aid fitting and auditory rehabilitation, to music perception, neural processing and the changes that artificial intelligence is already bringing to hearing today.

Prof. Dr Anke Lesinski-Schiedat from MHH Hannover Medical University kicked off the programme with her lecture ‘Hearing loss affects everyone – from simple hearing to brainstem implants’. She highlighted the central role that hearing plays in social participation and the possibilities offered by modern hearing aid and cochlear implant fitting today. At the same time, she called for greater social acceptance and visibility of hearing systems and advocated for the early detection and treatment of hearing impairments.

Workshop by the Academy of Hearing Acoustics on the MAOF method

The topics were explored in greater depth in four interactive workshops. Arthur Holl, lecturer at the Academy of Hearing Acoustics, and Dr Frederick Hahn, Head of Advanced Training at the Academy of Hearing Acoustics, were delighted by the strong interest in their workshop on ‘Frequency-modifying measures in hearing aids – adjustment and objective monitoring using the MAOF method’.

In further workshops, participants also gained insights into the recording of brain waves relating to speech processing in the brain and witnessed the live programming of a cochlear implant with patients. They discussed current hearing aid fitting procedures and learnt about the latest developments in hearing aid technology. These hands-on sessions facilitated a direct exchange between research, education, clinical practice and application.

Focus on speech understanding and networking

The second day of the event was devoted, amongst other things, to the challenges of speech understanding in noisy environments, current developments in hearing acoustics and the neural basis of hearing. The subsequent keynote address by Prof. Dorothea Wendt from the Eriksholm Research Centre highlighted how auditory effort and hearing-related fatigue affect quality of life, and which new research approaches could help to better mitigate these limitations in the future.

Alongside the scientific content, the focus was on fostering connections between the many disciplines interested in hearing. Workshops, discussions and one-to-one conversations gave rise to new contacts, project ideas and prospects for joint initiatives. The HörHanse Days thus not only provided a space for knowledge transfer, but also for the development of new collaborations between research, clinical practice, education and industry, and for a fresh, collective reflection on what actually constitutes good hearing.

Poster session by early-career researchers

A particular focus of the HörHanse Days was on supporting the next generation of scientists. Early-career researchers presented their work on posters and outlined their projects in entertaining, very short presentations, moderated by Stefanie Ziegler, lecturer at the Academy of Hearing Acoustics. The diversity of these contributions once again highlighted the breadth of hearing research and offered numerous opportunities for new collaborations.

The Audience Award for the best poster, voted for by the participants, went to Pia Stoppe, a Master’s student at the DHI Deutsches Hörgeräte Institut (German Hearing Aid Institute), for her project ‘Hardware or processing artefacts? In search of the origin of the hearing aid penalty in people with normal hearing’.

Lübeck: a hub for interdisciplinary exchange

The lively exchange highlighted one thing above all: the particular strength of Lübeck as a centre for hearing research, where research, medical care, training and clinical practice are closely interlinked. The HörHanse Days 2026 were organised by HIC GmbH and HörHanse e.V. and made possible by project funding from the Damp Foundation and the support of the main sponsor, Widex.

HörHanse e.V. brings together the expertise of leading figures in the field of hearing in Lübeck. Its members include the University of Lübeck, the Technische Hochschule Lübeck (Lübeck University of Technology), the Musikhochschule Lübeck (Lübeck University of Music), the UKSH University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, the Bundesinnung der Hörakustiker (Federal Guild of Hearing Aid Professionals) with its Academy of Hearing Acoustics, the Bundesoffene Landesberufsschule für Hörakustiker und Hörakustikerinnen (Vocational School for Hearing Aid Professionals), the Deutsche Hörgeräte Institut (German Hearing Aid Institute) and the company hear-concept. Together, they promote research, innovation, training and knowledge transfer in the field of hearing.